Red Sox Stop Slide In Bronx, Beat Yankees 5-2
NEW YORK (AP) — Rafael Devers hit a three-run homer in the first inning off Michael King, Marwin González added a two-run double and the Boston Red Sox beat the New York Yankees 5-2 Friday night in the first of the rivals' 19 meetings this season.
Former Yankee Nathan Eovaldi (7-2) won his third straight start, taking a shutout in the sixth before tiring, and the Red Sox stopped their 11-game losing streak in the Bronx with their first win at Yankee Stadium since June 2, 2019.
After going their first 57 games without facing the Red Sox, the Yankees started a stretch of 14 games against Boston in their next 43. New York and Boston had not met for the first time this late in a full season since 1996, when their first game was July 1.
A season-high sellout crowd of 18,040, boosted by an easing of coronavirus restrictions, booed as the Yankees grounded into a pair of double plays that raised their major league-leading total to 54. New York lost for the eighth time in 11 games.
Gary Sánchez was jeered for a four-strikeout night that dropped his batting average to .198. He contributed to an 0 for 15 by the bottom four in New York's batting order that included Rougned Odor (.182), Clint Frazier (.179) and Brett Gardner (.192).
Yankees hitters struck out 15 times, their sixth time over eight games in double digits and 29th time this season. Even the public-address system gave up early, starting Frank Sinatra's rendition of "New York, New York" prematurely when Sánchez fouled off a 1-2 pitch with two outs in the ninth. Sánchez fouled three more pitches, then struck out.
Xander Bogaerts scored twice for second-place Boston and had four hits in five at-bats after an 0-for-24 slide.
Eovaldi allowed two runs — one earned — and eight hits in six innings.
Hirokazu Sawamura struck out five around a walk over two innings, and Matt Barnes finished for his 13th in 14 chances.
Judge hit his 14th homer in the sixth, a drive into the right-field short porch, and the Yankees got an unearned run when Odor's two-out, two-on grounder clipped off González's glove and ricocheted off a cheekbone, and the first baseman picked up the ball and threw wildly past first for an error. Frazier hit an inning-ending flyout.
King (0-3), replacing injured Corey Kluber in New York's rotation, gave up four runs and six hits in 5 1/3 innings. He left a fastball on an 0-2 count over the plate at the letters to Devers, who drove the ball into the right field second deck. Devers has 15 homers and 46 RBIs this season.
González, like Devers, came up with a two-out hit in the sixth and doubled again in the eighth.
K CORNER
King struck out Hunter Renfroe, González and Christian Vázquez on nine pitches in the fourth inning, becoming the seventh Yankees pitcher to strike out the side consecutively with the minimum pitches.
The feat has been said to have been accomplished 95 times. The others to do it for the Yankees were Al Downing (vs. Indians, Aug. 11, 1967), Ron Guidry (White Sox, Aug. 7, 1984), A.J. Burnett (Marlins, June 20, 2009), Iván Nova (Mets, May 29, 2013), Brandon McCarthy (Rays, Sept. 17, 2004) and Dellin Betances (Tigers, Aug. 2, 2017).
King followed in the fifth with his second four-pitch inning this season.
PEDROIA
Dustin Pedroia will be honored during pregame ceremonies before the June 25 game against the Yankees. Peoria, 37, won three World Series titles for the Red Sox from 2007-19 and retired Feb. 1, never completely recovering from knee damage sustained during a Manny Machado slide in 2017.
TRAINER'S ROOM
Red Sox: RHP Ryan Brasier (left calf strain) was hit on his right side of his head by a line drive during simulated game at Fort Myers, Florida, manager Alex Cora said after exchanging texts with the pitcher. Brasier was taken to a hospital for be checked for a concussion. Brasier was stable and was going to be observed until at least Saturday.
Yankees: Kluber (strained right shoulder) played catch. Kluber has been examined by Yankees head team physician Dr. Christopher Ahmad, New York Mets medical director David Altchek and Los Angeles Dodgers head team physician Dr. Neal S. ElAttrache, and Texas Rangers head team physician Dr. Keith Meister. Yankees manager Aaron Boone said it was "a little gray" as to what is "acute injury" for the 35-year-old vs. "chronic things that are just wear and tear of a guy that's had a lot of innings on his arm."
UP NEXT
RHP Jameson Taillon (1-4, 5.10) starts for the Yankees on Saturday against LHP Eduardo Rodríguez (5-4, 5.64).
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